Land degradation: Ethiopia and Senegal find pathways to survival – TRT Afrika

Report on Global Land Degradation and its Impact on Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Executive Summary

A recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2025, indicates that human-induced land degradation is a global crisis affecting 1.7 billion people. This phenomenon directly undermines progress towards several key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to poverty, hunger, and terrestrial ecosystems. By analyzing the long-term decline in land productivity, the report highlights a minimum 10% reduction in crop yields in affected areas, posing a significant threat to global food security and rural livelihoods.

2.0 Regional Impact Analysis

2.1 Case Study: Ethiopian Highlands

In Ethiopia, soil erosion is severely impacting smallholder farms. The continuous loss of topsoil has led to a decline in the land’s fertility, directly affecting the achievement of SDG 2 (Zero Hunger). Key impacts include:

• Diminishing annual harvests of staple crops such as teff and maize.
• Increased labor for reduced agricultural output, threatening livelihoods and progress on SDG 1 (No Poverty).
• A cycle of land degradation that compromises the long-term viability of agriculture in the region.

2.2 Case Study: Senegal’s Fatick Region

In Senegal, the combined effects of persistent drought and overgrazing have led to severe degradation of rangelands, directly challenging SDG 15 (Life on Land). The consequences for pastoralist communities are significant:

• Loss of vegetation and trees, leading to desertification.
• Depletion of traditional grazing pastures, forcing herders to travel longer distances for animal fodder.
• Threats to the economic stability of cattle-herding communities, impacting SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

3.0 Primary Drivers and Consequences of Land Degradation

The SOFA report identifies several primary human-induced triggers for land degradation. These practices create a cycle of declining land productivity and environmental damage.

3.1 Identified Drivers

1. Deforestation
2. Overgrazing
3. Unsustainable farming methods

3.2 Core Consequences

• A long-term decline in the land’s biological and economic productivity.
• A direct threat to food security for rural populations.
• Erosion of natural ecosystems and biodiversity, contrary to the aims of SDG 15.

4.0 Implications for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The crisis of land degradation presents a direct and substantial obstacle to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The impacts are cross-cutting, affecting multiple interconnected goals.

1. SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): Reduced crop yields and loss of fertile soil directly undermine efforts to end hunger, achieve food security, and promote sustainable agriculture.
2. SDG 15 (Life on Land): The report’s findings illustrate a failure to protect, restore, and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, combat desertification, and halt land degradation.
3. SDG 1 (No Poverty): The loss of agricultural livelihoods for farmers and herders pushes vulnerable rural populations further into poverty.
4. SDG 13 (Climate Action): Degraded land is less resilient to climate-related hazards such as drought, and deforestation contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.

5.0 Recommendations and Path Forward

Addressing land degradation is critical for achieving the SDGs. FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu emphasizes that “To seize these opportunities, we must act decisively.” The report calls for a concerted global effort focused on sustainable solutions.

5.1 Key Recommendations

• Promote widespread adoption of sustainable land management practices.
• Establish enabling environments that support long-term investment in land restoration.
• Foster innovation and stewardship to protect and rehabilitate agricultural lands.

Analysis of the Article in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 2: Zero Hunger
   • The article directly addresses food security challenges. It highlights how land degradation leads to shrinking harvests for farmers like Alem in Ethiopia (“the harvest shrinks every year”), which undermines their ability to feed their families and earn a livelihood. This connects directly to the goal of ending hunger and achieving food security.
2. SDG 15: Life on Land
   • This is the central SDG discussed. The article’s core theme is land degradation, a key concern of SDG 15. It provides specific examples such as soil erosion in the Ethiopian highlands (“Each downpour washes away more topsoil”) and the stripping of rangelands in Senegal due to drought and overgrazing. The cited FAO report explicitly focuses on “human-induced land degradation.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Targets under SDG 2 (Zero Hunger)
   • Target 2.3: By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers. The article illustrates the opposite is happening for Alem, the farmer, whose “harvest shrinks every year,” and Ibrahima, the herder, who must “walk further away… to find food for his herd.” Their productivity and livelihoods are declining due to land degradation, making this target highly relevant.
   • Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices… that progressively improve land and soil quality. The article discusses the consequences of failing to meet this target, citing “unsustainable farming methods” and “overgrazing” as primary triggers for land degradation and declining yields.
2. Target under SDG 15 (Life on Land)
   • Target 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world. The entire article serves as a case study for this target. It describes the processes of land degradation through soil erosion in Ethiopia and desertification from “persistent drought and overgrazing” in Senegal, which are the exact issues this target aims to address.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicators for SDG 2 Targets
   • Agricultural Yield/Productivity: The article provides a direct indicator of declining productivity. The statement that “yields in affected areas are at least 10% lower because of degradation,” from the FAO report, is a quantifiable metric. Alem’s personal account that “the harvest shrinks every year” is a qualitative indicator of the same trend.
2. Indicators for SDG 15 Target
   • Proportion of Degraded Land: While the article does not provide a specific percentage, it implies this indicator through vivid descriptions of land quality. Phrases like “washes away more topsoil,” “earth thinner and paler,” and “rangelands… stripped bare” are qualitative assessments of land degradation, which is formally measured by Indicator 15.3.1 (Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area).

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: trtafrika.com